L's Not So Happy Family
by angstkitten
Summary: a collection of one-shots and snippets set in a universe i'm setting up for a story i'm working on. this will help explain the family's background. l has adopted mello, matt, and near. warning: wammy-kids' real-name spoilers, shonen-ai, mentions of abuse
1. Morning Routines

Warning: spoilers of Mello and Near's real names.

**November 16, 2008**

Matt

Every school day, we had the same routine. Dad, after a night of little sleep, would begin rousing us kids. He fixed breakfast while we dressed and made sure we all ate a good balance. This included him, because he knew we wouldn't let him get away with it. He would have eaten nothing but cakes and candies if we let him. And we would have too, which is why no one did. If he wasn't letting us, we certainly weren't letting _him_.

After we had eaten, he would check that our homework was done and we brushed our teeth. Then we were marched out to the car. It was a good-looking car, and slightly expensive (it was a gift from Granpa), but if one truly investigated I'm sure it would be obvious that there were children using it. The interior was a bit of a mess, though it was under control. Dad was never one to com_pletely_ disregard appearance. He made sure we looked presentable before school, and that the car was cleaned every few weeks, and the lawn was kept…as neat as it could be with three boys.

So anyway, we would get packed into the backseat, book bags on our laps, and Dad drove us to school. We could have walked, it was only six blocks away, but no neighborhood is one-hundred-percent safe, and Dad didn't like the chances of us getting hurt or kidnapped, even though they went down if we were all together because then the chances of _all_ of us getting taken went up. And Dad was all about percentages. He had a point, though. Mihael was only eleven, and Nate was nine. I was ten, and was always glued to my games.

When we got to school, Dad would open the door, with his hand out. Nate would hand over whichever toy he had dragged along, I would save my game as quickly as possible and fork it over, and Mihael would take one last bite of the chocolate bar he had before placing it in Dad's hand. Then we went to class and Dad did whatever Dad did.


	2. Growing Up

First of all, I want to thank everybody that read the last one and Ashastana for reviewing. I started this one right away after seeing the response. Warning: Watari, Mello and Near's real names

**November 18, 2008**

L

It was a little sad, realizing my boys were growing up. I suppose I realized it when Mihael flat out refused me a goodnight kiss for the first time. It wasn't quite a surprise; he was almost nine and had been exerting his individualism for several months. But it still stung that my oldest wouldn't let me give him a peck on the forehead before sending him to bed.

I should consider myself lucky that Matt didn't follow his lead immediately. Matt always had been more laidback, and he didn't seem to mind for another year and a half. His pass on the kiss was less direct, but more painful. He completely snubbed me. Without even pausing, he walked to the bedroom behind Mihael, and when I asked for a kiss, he just shook his head slightly without looking up. Nate, however, was still accepting them, even though he was as old as Mihael had been. He reached up and wrapped his arms around my neck and we hugged before I kissed his forehead and sent him off to bed.

It wasn't long, though, until Nate requested to no longer receive the kisses. They were obviously growing up. Nate was ten now, and the other two were eleven. I hadn't read them bedtime stories in years and I doubted they remembered when we shared 'Eskimo kisses' rather than a peck on the forehead. I would put these three to bed even back at Wammy's, and it always made them so happy to see me.

Now, if I tried to go in their room Mihael would scream and shout, Matt would turn his back to hide what he was doing, and Nate would just look at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to leave. I knew I had to respect their privacy and let them grow up, but I really wanted to be selfish and keep them to myself.

Then they started going out on dates. It almost killed me, watching them trot out the door with girls and boys their age that I didn't know. To think they might be kissing or…I hated when they went out. I would sit on the couch, waiting for them to come home. The two still home would try to help by telling me everything they knew, but it often made my nerves worse. I considered banning them from the dating scene until after college, but they would have done it behind my back then.

I held them back as long as I could; I wouldn't be a father with twelve year olds on dates. But by fifteen, I couldn't legitimately stop them anymore. They were slipping from my grasp, and all I could do was watch and tell them I loved them.


	3. Bedtime

Thank you so much to my readers, and especially the reviews, Ashastana and Arnold. I really appreciate it and it helps me write! Warning: Mello, Near, and possibly Watari's real names (again). I doubt I'll state this warning again.

**November 19, 2008**

L

"L…" I looked up from where I was reading, my legs curled under me. In front of me were Mihael, Matt, and Nate, though Matt seemed utterly nervous, being new to the orphanage and Nate was keeping himself well hidden behind the others.

"What is it, boys?" I asked. I was seventeen, and the boys were very young. They were only three and four, but we would talk or play sometimes. I was rather attached to them at times, and they would occasionally search me out, but this was different. I didn't know Matt well yet, he'd only been there for a few weeks, but he seemed to get along with Mihael beautifully.

"Read us a story," Mihael said. I blinked.

"A story?" They all nodded. "Well, to get a bedtime story, you have to be ready for bed. Are you?"

"Yes!" they all chimed together.

"Look, we pud on our bajamas all by ourselfes, and even brushed our teefs." Matt had a slight lisp, due to the…treatment he had received from his older siblings, but it was getting better.

"Yes, I see. Well, I suppose you need tucked in, then."

"But, L, we sleep in different _rooms_," Mihael reminded me.

"Oh, that's right," I said, glancing up at the ceiling and putting my thumb to my lips in false contemplation. "Well, what will we have to do about this?"

"Read to us heyr," Nate whispered. "Please." I smiled. They were so cute; I couldn't deny them something so simple.

"Alright. What would you like me to read?" A book was instantly produced and I glanced it over. Deeming it acceptable, I told them to sit down. I set the book I had been reading before aside and began to read to them from the Grimm's Fairy Tale book they had. I edited the material a little, to make it less gruesome for them. After two stories, Mihael was nodding and Nate was almost completely asleep, curled up on the floor with his hands pillowing his head. "Okay, that's enough for tonight. It's time to go to bed. Would you like me to tuck you in?"

"Yes, please," Mihael yawned, as Matt nodded in agreement and Nate blinked away the sleep so he could walk to his room.

I took them each to bed and tucked them in carefully. "Goodnight, Mihael," I whispered to him as he laid his head down.

"G'night, L…" I gently kissed his forehead, and then left the room to take Matt to bed.

After tucking him in, I softly rubbed our noses together in an 'Eskimo kiss'. He smiled, and I ruffled his hair slightly before going to take Nate to bed. I carried him the rest of the way, because he was falling asleep while walking. I tucked him in and whispered goodnight. He barely answered, he was so far gone, but as I turned to go, he took my hand. I looked back, and his eyes were open. I smiled, seeing the question in them: 'why don't I get one?'.

I leaned down, kissed his cheek, and said goodnight again. After that night, the boys came to me for stories almost every night, and they got jealous if I didn't give them all the same kisses after tucking them in. It was cute to see them argue over which one was the best to get, but I didn't want them to fight, so I started giving them all the 'Eskimos' with a kiss to the forehead afterward.

It made me so happy to have this evening time with them, especially after I could start thinking of them as 'mine' and not just abandoned children. They were mine and they never had to worry about their parents coming back for them, because I would stop them at all costs.


End file.
